1277/One Hand Equals Two Feet, or I Sai What You Did There

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One Hand Equals Two Feet, or I Sai What You Did There
Date of Scene: 21 April 2020
Location: Abandoned Warehouse
Synopsis: Two sai-wielding ninjas cross paths when clans argue over a warehouse location. Body counts are made.
Cast of Characters: Raphael, Elektra Natchios




Raphael has posed:
Somewhere in New York City, there sits an abandoned warehouse. Places like these run the gamut when it comes to how they're used months, even years later. Some lie empty, shells of what they were once used for. From time to time, a few become occupied by homeless people in search of shelter and safety. Occasionally, they are taken over by members of the criminal element, utilizing them as bases of operation.

Rarely, the same one is sought after by two ninja factions against each other. There was already a situation not too long ago that involved members of the Hand and Foot going at each other in another warehouse. As fate would have it, both clans are in need of another place to work out of. As fate would further have it, scouts picked the same one. Funny how that works. Looks like another fight brewing, but this time none of them exhibit the dinosaur or gorilla traits the others were hit with.

There is another in the vicinity, watching who's moving in, counting how many he can make out on each side, considering when and where to strike. How is pretty much the same way for Raphael of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Overlooking the building from another adjacent to it, he mutters to himself. "Foot /and/ Hand? Someone must be lookin' out for good ol' Raph tonight. Extra heads ta bust? Can't complain." Quietly, he works his way over to the main warehouse, climbing his way up to the rooftop.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
For Elektra it has been a very busy stay in New York so far, discovering how infested with the Hand the city is. Not that it would exactly be a problem, considering her own ties with the organization, but for her particular plans here it means their activity needs to diminish. Too much attention brought to them..., one she does not want coming down on herself.

And so Elektra finds herself tracking down a few members of the Hand. From shadow to shadow. Invisible almost. These are younger Hand, not gone through the shinobi training in full measure most likely. Not in the way she did. So she finds herself moving in without difficulty, avoiding lights, moving between beats. Using all the ninjutsu tricks learned with her training both with the Chaste and Hand.

She is already up on said rooftop, crouched down, watching through a window the inside. She is dressed in her black and red garb, armored in certain parts, mask up and covering the lower end of her face while her midnight-black hair is tied up in a warrior's knot. As for her Sais, they are resting on a sash tied about her waist.

Raphael has posed:
On the Foot side, there is a higher-up with a handful of grunts. Think Private First Class with a few Private Second Class under him to follow orders. They're currently gesturing toward the Hand opposite them, and it seems at least someone on both sides knows of what happened at the last warehouse, or may have even been there, for they're looking around cautiously while the two sides posture and threaten. Through a few broken windows, both atop the roof can hear some of the conversation.

"We were here first!"

"No, we were!"

"You're wrong!"

"No we're not!"

"Wanna fight?"

"Yeah. No, not really. What if /it/ happens again?"

"Good point."

Speaking of broken windows, Raphael doesn't even bother to wait for the ninja below to quit their conversation. He didn't check to see whether he was alone or not up there, but there was some steam to blow off, brothers or not. Sure, once in a while he got himself in over his head and they had to come bail him out, but isn't that what brothers are for?

Glass shatters as Raph leaps through one of the panes, raining down around him as he lands atop one of the poor saps, using him to cushion his fall. "So I figured while you guys was doin' the whole 'Yes, no, yes' dance, I'd cut in. Hand, Foot, Foot, Hand, doesn't matter to me. All I see are nerds to send runnin' home to mommy." This one has a pair of sai as well! And...he's a humanoid turtle who suddenly takes one of the grunts down with a sweep kick at the back of the legs, followed by a chop across the sternum.

This is going to draw attention.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Elektra was surveying the spot from above. So it seems they were getting drawn out to a fight. Suits her just fine. Meant she might just catch up with the stragglers. So she was ready to just spend her time up there, observing...

The crash on the window comes unannounced, gaze sharply turning that way when she watches a new challenge approaching.. Or in this case falling atop one of those poor ninjas.. Not exactly that subtle. And what kind of suit is that?

A good look seems to tell her it's not exactly a suit, but whatever this is appears to use Sais. Her preferred weapon. How curious. Though this does spring her to action. She lowers herself down from the window she was at, falling quietly atop a steel crate before slithering down to the ground.

She moves swiftly, taking advantage of the confusion to go behind one of the Hand. One hand on his mouth so there is no screaming, another about the neck and squeezing while she draws him back into the shadows to knock him out.

Raphael has posed:
When can one be a ninja while occasionally ignoring certain rules ninja tend to abide by, particularly when it comes to stealth?

When your name is Raphael.

It took being quiet to get to this point, but once he was in place he saw little reason to wait it out. The simple fact the others were there down below was all he needed to act on, but now that he's shown himself the others drop their near-fight and turn their attention toward him.

"It's one of the turtles!" a member of the Foot Clan calls out, proving his powers of observation haven't failed him even in the semi-darkened conditions of the warehouse, many of the lights either burnt out or broken. A variety of weapons are suddenly produced, not far off from what the turtles themselves are fond of going into battle with.

Raphael retorts, "Yeah, the handsome one, and the one who's gonna kick your loser ass! Who's first?"

Meanwhile, not more than maybe twenty feet behind him, Elektra is taking the strong but silent approach. Said turtle brandishes his sais with a twirling flourish as he leaps toward one of the Foot, who just happens to have a katana that is soon locked up by the tines, otherwise known as the yoku. With the shaft, or monouchi, flat against his arm, he thrusts the edge of the metal into the chin of his overmatched opponent. "That's two down, or are we countin' the guy I landed on first, too?" he taunts.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Bit of a showoff, but that suits Elektra just fine, bringing the unconscious Hand to a corner. She doesn't even kill him. Going soft? Not particularly, but she did promise she'd keep the body count low while in New York. No point in killing a young recruit. She will let the police handle them later when and if they are arrested.

But then one of the Foot ninjas is coming past near her, a bow in hand, sneaky.. Aiming towards Raphael, turtle in it's sights..

A snapkick sends the poor Foot out of the hideout they had chosen, tossed across the floor and into the main room, contorting in pain.

Elektra steps out shortly after from the shadows, Sais in hand, chin up, dark eyes surveying the battlefield. "You talk too much." yes, this was most likely said to the ninja turtle, tone showing some amusement. Amusement that isn't shown on the various Hand and Foot about who suddenly get into a flurry of motion, going after the two Sai wielders.

Raphael has posed:
Raphael steals a glance over a shoulder just as the female is speaking. One of the Foot, spotted out of the corner of an eye, then taken down with a very effective kick. He whistles in a form of approval, retorting, "Or maybe I talk just enough. Good color, by the way, red. Oh yeah, and these." He waves a sai for a moment. Red: a sudden nickname for Elektra or merely an observation toward part of her attire? Who can say?

"My turn," he adds, as with the woman's attention at least partially on him now, one of the Hand ninja comes toward her back from an angle, with a pair of his own sai. Seconds later, he's doubling over in pain, the sai clattering to the floor, a couple throwing stars embedded in his forearms as Raphael follows through on a throw, pulled from one side of his belt as the other sai in his possession temporarily joins the one in his left hand. "I think that makes us even, lady," he tells her, moving such that he takes up a position nearly back-to-back with her, covering all sides.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
There's only the faintest lifts of a trimmed eyebrow at the mention of her colored outfit. Red? Rather observant. If that's a nickname? Rather stabbed. Yet there is an amused light to her eyes as she moves in, weaving past a few of the ninjas, a kick thrown to one that gets too close, long leg elegantly connecting to a face and then she flipping further to the center of the room.

The taking out of a Hand ninja makes her snort. "Depends. I could had stayed back in the shadows and just watch you fight." she retorts but then acquiesces with the smallest of nods. "Though very well, we can be even for the moment."

She gets back-to-back with the turtle, sais held up, watching the approach... The ninjas seem to have cooled too, now moving more slowly, surrounding the duo..

And then they move.., katanas, bo's, nunchakus in hand.

Raphael has posed:
Raphael holds a steady position within a couple feet or so of Elektra, the shorter turtle giving off a cocky attitude that's full of self-confidence. "Bet you woulda enjoyed the show in that case," he boasts, but he goes about covering his front and her back, trusting her to do the same. If she's using sai like him, and she's fighting the other guys too, she can't be all that bad, can she?

One leads with the bo, but Raphael ties it up much like he did the katana, using a flick of the wrist to send the staff clattering off to the side. Then he bashes an elbow into the man's stomach, following with a knee thrust upward. Just because there's padding over both areas doesn't mean it won't knock the dude's wind out. "I might be losing count here, but that's something like five or six of these dorks for me!"

Elektra Natchios has posed:
When Raphael starts counting out the dorks he's taken out that brings a /look/ out of Elektra. Who does he think he is? Gimli? Well, considering the short stature maybe it is! That'd make her Legolas. And everyone knows how those counts ended up in the movie. Though she is too busy to give that too much thought. Incoming katana blow!

She weaves to one side, liquid almost as she allows the katana to slide down the guards of her sais, she crossing and twisting in an ease of motion that just seems natural to her.

Not natural to the poor Foot ninja though who sees his katana fly off. And then a pain to the sternum from a knee. That wasn't supposed to happen! Then toppling off...

Though as more continue moving in she makes use of some shuriken on her bracers too, tossing them towards a couple to keep them at bay. "So, is this your MO? Rushing into danger?"

As the ninja continue to fall there aren't many left anymore, just the leaders on each of the opposing factions, deep frowns under their masks, red and purple, each armed with a katana.

"You should had stayed out of this." One says, to which the other one adds. "Noone gets in our way."

Raphael has posed:
The Foot and Hand soldiers fall one by one, and as it happens Raphael is utilizing his sai in the very same way to block someone coming in with nunchucks twirling, absorbing one of the blows against the guard before he moves inside the range of the sticks, one of them smacking against the back of his hard shell with an audible *THUNK* just before another sound follows: the wannabe hitting the floor with a *THUD* and a groan.

"Seven, or maybe ten now. It's all becoming a blur." Maybe he did watch that movie recently. So what? Rushing into danger? The question gets a thoughtful look out of him that's the 'blink and you'll miss it' sort. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I don't do too good with waitin' around for the right moment."

Yet, that's exactly what he does right now as the leaders of their representative factions turn their attention toward the turtle and she-ninja. The terrapin and the ninjette? He whistles low, "Is it me, or are these shellbrains still itching for a fight?" He gestures toward them as if he can't believe what he's seeing. "You two just trying to pretend we ain't miles ahead 'a you? That we didn't just take out your whole crew in seconds?" An aside to Elektra follows. "I ain't never felt this disrespected in my entire life. Whaddaya say?" He jerks a green thumb in their direction, brows raising in question behind the red eye-mask he wears. "Us two against them two? Those ain't good odds for them." Even if they're a step above the grunts.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"I believe it's twelve to ten right now." Elektra retorts back to the ninja turtle. Because who is counting? Is she? Maybe. And yes, of course she says it in that manner which implies she is in front where it comes to takedowns. Legolas, remember?

Yet as the two representatives set into position so does she lower herself a touch, getting into a more serious stance, exhaling slowly, re-aligning her breathing, eyes squinting.

The only answer appears to be a mmm of agreement and then she is off. Lauching herself towards the Foot ninja. Maybe for a change.. She is always fighting the Hand afterall. So she engages in a blur of blows against the man, kicks and knees matching up while they 'dance' in a deadly manner.

It's not as if the other ninja waits too, shouting out a kiai and charging at Raphael.

Raphael has posed:
"They didn't even have that many put together!" Raphael exclaims, and he got the jump on the ones who /were/ there by going in first!

Still, he squares up when it's called for, and this is one of those times. It's not that the others were severely outclassed, even though they were. There's strength in numbers, and against one of them it might have been tougher. Had they all fought at once, it could have gone another way. They didn't, and the two highly-trained fighters picked them off systematically, quickly thinning the group.

The turtle's wide mouth twists into a wider grin. "Awwright. Let's do this." If Elektra takes the Foot guy, he'll switch it up too and go after the Hand dude. Katana? No sweat, as far as he's concerned. He's trained against Leonardo and his own more than enough. He also knows just about every move Leo uses. Someone else? Could be different. At first, the sword strike is parried, but the Hand ninja leaps above and away from the sweep Raphael comes in low with. "Oh, someone likes his flippy sh...tuff, huh?" He closes the gap while keeping his defenses up on the left side, brandishing the sai on his right in search of an opening he can exploit.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Only silence about whether or not there were that many. Because who will count after?! Elektra is clearly on the lead.

The Foot ninja against her gets knocked back against a crate by a well-placed kick to the belly. A shout later and then he charges in, attempting a downward chop with the katana. Direct, and to the point. But also a mistake.

Elektra steps out of the way, guard ringing against the steel on the katana as she drives it up to the hilt. The other Sai stabs through that sword hand, bringing a cry out of the ninja, blood and the worst consequence which is for the sword to be dropped.

She twists and then places a couple of kicks in. One on the chest and the other on the head, sending to man to unconsciousness.

As for the Hand ninja. Indeed a flippity one. They move in, again engaging on an aerial assault. But it's a repetition, one that a skilled enough ninja can counter.

Raphael has posed:
It doesn't take long for Raphael to sniff out the telegraphing moves, and a look of disappointment dots his expression. "Did you learn to be a ninja, or a gymnast?" he challenges, spreading his arms to the sides as if to mock the guy and try to get him to come with something more. "Now, I got a brother who's pretty good with a blade and you ain't even close to being in his league, so how's about I give you a free shot. Think you can get me?"

He barely even tries to show an obvious defense, standing more casually than not. "Whatcha got? Anything? I ain't got all night and you're starting to bore me." All the words seem to have the guy off his game, whatever game he's got, but he finally comes charging toward Raphael with a bellow of would-be triumph, bringing the katana through a downward arc...only for Raph to sidestep him and crack the poor guy hard across the back with the head, or the tsukagashira. Down he goes in a heap, writhing in pain. "Oh, so close. Too bad."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
The Hand ninja wasn't really up to talking because he is not a Tongue ninja, he was more up to chopping a turtle up with his HANDS, which does fail, the man toppling down to the ground near the other foot operative with a *thud*.

Elektra then takes a step away from Raphael, still keeping her Sais held up to her sides, not exactly in an aggressive posture but observing. Just in case the turtle decides she is a target too.

While she moves she takes a step over the Hand ninja that Raphael just took down, her eyes continuing to look at him in a dangerous manner. She then finally speaks up. "You have some interesting moves. Not a style I recognize right away so I do wonder who trained you..." her voice almost a whisper while she moves about the emptied warehouse, circling about Raphael.

Raphael has posed:
Once the Hand miniboss is down, the mutant turtle circles who's down and makes sure they're out before turning his attention away from them. The worst any of them got from Raphael might be the one with the throwing stars in his forearms, but those will heal. The attacks are over. His movements are fluid, nimble, a lightness on his feet that speaks of extensive training in the kinds of things the two of them have just been doing. He certainly moves like a ninja, even if he doesn't look like anything normal.

He twirls the sai in his right hand, a contrast to hers not just because of the color, but the fact he has two fingers and a thumb compared to the norm, and the sai is then slipped into a spot in the belt he wears, followed by the other one on the other side. As far as clothing goes, he is essentially naked aside from that belt, the mask, and the padding along with the wrappings around the hands and feet, wrists and ankles.

The answer he gives is casual enough, then it turns somewhat evasive. "You ain't bad with those yourself. Gotta respect someone who knows what they're doing with these." One of the sai gets a pat when he adds, "You probably wouldn't know my Sensei, but the Foot goons are the enemies of me and my brothers."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Once Raphael puts those Sais away so does Elektra, yet instead of being placed in front she rests them on her back, hands now free so she can fold her arms together, one hip thrusted to one side. She continues looking at the turtle, certainly an odd one to be going around swinging Sais and knowing how to fight. "You would be surprised with the Masters I know ..." she says, the light in her eyes showing she is most likely smirking under that mask. "... specially if they train this style of weapons. But very well."

A pause, then she asks. "Do you have a name? And what is your problem with ..." and she gestures to the fallen ninja. "... these fine gentlemen here?" the circling continues, slowly, as if still doing a study of Raphael, just in case they need to go to blows.

Raphael has posed:
Raphael collected a couple weapons during his check of the fallen ninja, just to make sure none of them get back up and surprise them without an ability to respond to it. They could, however, have something hidden, so he keeps a position that includes all of them in his line of sight along with the woman, who gets a second glance when she shoves her hip out like that. The partial facemask does a good job of hiding details, drawing attention to the eyes, hair, and other features.

"You saying you been around, is that it? I only had one teacher. Don't go around sharing it, but his name is Master Splinter." To a stranger like this, not just Splinter, but Master Splinter. "I'm Raphael, which is a lot better than something dumb like Squirtle. These losers?" A thumb is jerked toward the Foot on the floor. "Their boss has tried to wipe my whole family out, and I don't deal real well with that. He's dead, but it's obvious someone else is still around running the clan." He scoffs, "Not very well, either."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
For all her knowledge on martial arts and masters around the world that name doesn't seem to ring a bell, though Elektra does let out a brief mmm, thoughtful. Curious perhaps. "Interesting name." is what she comments, casually coming to rest one foot up on the Hand ninja that Raphael took down as a footrest. Not that any of those she took down appear mortally wounded, for some reason the woman having only delivered knockout blows. Not that she doesn't seem to scream assassin and deadliness all over considering that posture and eyes.

"I am Elektra." She finally announces, which indeed is the name of a reknown, international assassin for those in the know. Is Raphael? Maybe, maybe not.

But then her eyes trail down to the floor to the Foot ninja. "So it is a Clan feud. Do you belong to any or it's mostly a family of those like you?" though then she nods at the mention of someone running the Clan. "There is always someone willing to continue leading. Power corrupts. And the Foot have much of it. Along with the Hand." not that she comments on whether she really believes Shredder to be dead or not. -That- one at least she is aware of.

Raphael has posed:
Raphael has the look that he could have killed any one of these people, and so does she. They both seem to know it, recognize it, which speaks to their own training and how they put it to use. Nothing need be said, there.

"I mighta heard your name around before," he states, which does nothing to confirm or deny it, but while there may have been occasional rumors of strange turtle-like beings circling around the martial arts underworld, very little of anything has ever been solidly confirmed. Could be nobody wants to admit they got their asses kicked by a group of ninja turtle mutants?

He is open with her on one thing. "I ain't really in the habit of telling a stranger my life story. You got a pair of eyes on you. You can see I ain't normal, and neither is the rest of my family. We got secrets to keep and I bet you do too, so I ain't gonna go askin' nothin' neither. But if you're against these guys, that puts us on the same side in the end." The way he's built, the way he talks and acts, he must be a brawler of some kind for a ninja.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Many do." Elektra replies about her name. Nothing new there. Those that lead this type of violent lives normally do. And the turtle seems the type that has seen a few things. At least that much she can read out of those eyes.

"It is those that we open up with, those we consider to be close, that can hurt us more, isn't it? Not a stranger though." Some musings that leave her considering a moment, even smiling faintly under that mask, her hair then swaying from side to side when she shakes her head, "Yet true enough, don't expect a life story out of me."

"We can be on the same side, not that I normally draw lines in the sand and stand on one side or the other. Life isn't as simple. Often enough we have to .., go beyond, don't we?" yes, she has noticed the killer look on the turtle even if no mortal blow was made tonight.

"If I did want to contact you again though, how would one go about it?"

Raphael has posed:
The eyes show a hardness, but it may also be tough to tell how old he is. Raphael doesn't /sound/ old, but who knows? There are mysteries upon mysteries in the world of ninja, where to be too forthcoming is inviting more danger.

He leaves the near vicinity of Elektra in order to inspect a few things nearby, to see if the clans were moving any contraband or just checking the place out in advance of such. "Doubt any of these guys will be using this place now that we've been here, but it might be worth keeping an eye on for a while," he points out. "And yeah, tell someone too much and then it can start being used against you if you ain't careful."

Stopping to consider what it is she says toward the end, he rubs the top of his head with a thick finger. "That sounds like a lotta thinkin' if you ask me. I usually leave that to a couple of my brothers. I'm the muscles of the group, and the good looks." There's a wide, toothy grin that comes and goes.

He /can't/ be very old, the way he acts a little.

"I patrol around the city pretty much all the time. I can tell you a few alleys I usually check out if you wanna leave something there. Or.." He digs around toward the back of his belt and comes up with...a small flip phone of some kind that has a protective shell case, because of course it does. "..we can swap numbers."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"If you wish." Elektra replies in a rather uncaring manner when Raphael mentions keeping an eye out here. Perhaps her own plan here has been fulfilled by now, or it just wasn't what she was looking for. Regardless, she continues to follow the turtle with her eyes, curious but also wary. Yet she can't help to let out a snort when Raphael mentions being muscles and good looks. "Is that so?" she sounds briefly amused, eyes the phone.

Yes, she has her own, which she produces and gets on with exchanging numbers. Because one never knows what the future holds and a team-up may be needed. Once it's done she puts it away.

"Maybe I will be catching you around then." She moves, jumping up to a crate, then another, nearly obscured by shadows now. And from above she says. "If you count them you will see I got more than you did." a nod to the defeated foes Raph was going on about earlier. She smirks under her mask.

Raphael has posed:
"Yeah, when I kick ass, I look good doin' it," Raphael boasts, flashing a winning smile. There might be the sense that he isn't saying it to be obnoxious, though. More like he's having..fun? Enjoying trying to get a reaction out of her? "By the way, number can't be traced, so don't get any ideas. Like I said, we all got our secrets." He doesn't know how Donnie does it with the phones and other tech, but the nerd-turtle finds a way.

Watching her move to depart, he doesn't hide the fact he's paying attention to the way she moves and how she looks doing it. "See you around..Elektra," he finishes, hands resting at his sides. The cops might need to be summoned here to clean up the riff-raff, but he..

"Oh, hell no, lady! Two of those were mine! You can't claim them!"